New to these and a nurse

JessicaLElliott2

Hey everyone. I needs lots of help and ideas on how to lose weight and cut out cravings. Ive told myself so many times that the weight was coming off and I have never done anything about it before. BUT I decided it was time to change but I need help. I work four days a week as LPN and they are 12 hour shifts. I also go to school the other three days. How do people make time to work out with busy schedules. WIth work, school, family, kids sports I feel like there is not enough time in the day. My biggest problem is junk food- chips, chocolate, candy, and anything that makes me feel comfortable. I have just started to wein myself off mt dew. Im a mt dew junkie of 5 a day and have finally gave it up after two weeks. If anyone has tips or food ideas to keep me going all day long please let me know. I need HELP.

lynn_glenmont

Hi, Jessica.
You don't necessarily have to work out to lose weight. You just need to consume fewer calories than your body needs every day. of course, for many health goals other than weight loss, exercise is important.

I lost most of my weight before joining a gym, while the only exercise I was doing was walking. Maybe you can park a little farther away when you go to work, walk for short errands that you might otherwise use a car for, go for a walk with your kids, walk around the soccer field or whatever while you're at their games or practice.

The good news is that if you were at maintenance (not gaining, not losing) before you gave up the Mountain Dew, and you aren't substituting other calorie-laden drinks or food for the Mountain Dew (you could bring a big thermos of coffee or iced coffee or tea, unsweetened or with no-cal sweetener if you need the caffeine), eliminating 5 Mountain Dews a day (assuming 12 oz. per serving) would save you almost 6000 calories a week! So by that one act alone, you've made a big enough difference to lose 1.7 lbs a week (assuming you don't change anything else and you weren't gaining before you made this change). Most people on MFP will tell you that unless you have a lot to lose (say, 75 or 100 lbs or more), you shouldn't lose any faster than that if you want to conserve muscle (you want as much of the weight you lose as possible to be fat, not lean body mass).

I found it was helpful to think about eating things that would help me fulfill my nutritional goals (getting enough protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) rather than about giving up things like chips, chocolate, etc. I used to regularly raid the vending machine in the late afternoon because I needed energy to finish long days. Now I keep my desk stocked with almonds, roasted seaweed (it comes in sheets; you can sometimes find the Annie Chun brand in standard grocery stores, but it's less expensive if you have an Asian grocery store in your community), granola/breakfast/fiber/protein bars, which tend to come in at about half to two-thirds the calories of a typical candy bar, generally with a little better fiber & protein profile. Obviously fresh fruit and cut-up veggies like carrots, peppers, celery -- whatever you like to eat raw -- make good snacks. Greek yogurt (with various mix-ins if you don't like it plain), guacamole, and hummus make good dips (either stored in a refrigerator or packed in an insulated lunch bag with a cold pack), and a lot of stores now carry hummus and guacamole in cases of mini packs that are 100 to 150 calories each -- or you could buy a larger container (or make your own) and repack in whatever amount you want. A small can or pouch of tuna or salmon, either eaten plain or with a small pita or a few crackers makes a high-protein snack.

Best of luck in your journey.

ETA suggestion for Mt Dew substitutes

KLangleydoula

Hi Jessica! Feel free to add me for some encouragement.